


The Choice

by KennaxVal



Category: The Haunting of Braidwood Manor (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 09:46:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17743574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KennaxVal/pseuds/KennaxVal





	The Choice

Where is she? What is this place?

For Eleanor Waverly, these frightening questions plague her mind. She and her siblings are literally stuck in total nothingness. A place in between life and death.

Eleanor clutches onto her siblings unsure of what to do next. Nothingness doesn’t look how she would’ve expected. She always assumed nothing would look like a white wall or a black void. But it’s literally nothing. All she knows is that there’s a path forward and one back. The uncertainty frightens her.

A voice calls out in the distance, and Simon is the first to recognize the figure. “Father,” he calls out starting to run before Eleanor grabs hold of him. “You mustn’t jump to conclusions,” she scolds, “it could be dangerous to follow.”

Clarissa places her hand on Eleanor’s shoulder, and their brown eyes meet in a loving gaze. “Eleanor, you’ve spent all your life and many years since protecting us, but now it’s time to let go and allow us to choose for ourselves.”

“But…”

“She’s right, Eleanor,” Thomas chimes in, “as much as I appreciate what you’ve done for us, we need to move on.”

Tears stream down Eleanor’s face. Her grip remains tight, then it slowly loosens as the children race to their father. But Eleanor can’t bring herself to join them, and thus she stays.

It’s hard to say how long Eleanor has spent crying alone, but eventually, a warm hand rests on her head.

“Dear Eleanor, why are you crying?”

She looks up to see a face she’d almost forgotten. Brown hair, like the rest of the family with blue eyes and a handlebar mustache. Eleanor jumps up to hug her father. “I’ve missed you terribly!” She tells him as she buries her face in his chest.

“Come now, love, that’s all over now. It’s time to join your family. That is… most of your family.”

“Are you saying she’s here?” Eleanor asks, to which her father does not reply, instead hangs his head low. “Whatever is mother doing here?” When William sees his daughters forlorn face, he relents.

“This place is not meant for such as us, Eleanor. It is merely a pathway.”

“Where to?”

William squeezes Eleanor’s shoulders. “That is for you to choose. You can come with me if you like, but I’m afraid I can’t tell you what awaits us. Or you can stay here with your mother.”

“You can’t ask me to stay with her,” Eleanor tearfully pleads with him, pounding her fists into his chest.

“I don’t ask that, love. I ask that you decided for yourself.”

Eleanor wipes her eyes. “But I’m afraid. I can’t go with you unless I know it’ll be quite alright.”

William nods. “I understand your trepidation, darling. After all, it’s human nature to fear the unknown. It’s a shame that I’m not allowed to say more, but you find yourself in the same situation as all of humanity. When our time comes, we must decide if we wallow in a lonely, but certain condition or move forward into the undiscovered land.”

“Must it be this way?” Eleanor pleads with her father. William motions behind her. She sees a young man with green eyes and jet black hair with a solemn smile.

“Are you…?”

“Jonathan. Hanna’s brother,” he shares a look with a concerned William, “there’s another path.”

“A temporary one,” William interjects, “you’ll only delay the inevitable.”

Eleanor looks at Jonathan, “what path do you offer?”

“Go back. Return to my sister’s arms. Hannah loves you dearly, and after all, she’s been through, I want to see her happy again.”

She looks back to her William. He wipes away a single tear and pulls her into a hug. “It’s written on your face, darling Eleanor. Go back to your love. Your siblings and I will be waiting for you.”

Eleanor squeezes her father tight as she can, “thank you, dear father. But…”

“But, what?”

“What of mother? Will she always be here?”

“You needn’t worry, Eleanor. She will remain here for the time being.”

William stops himself from saying more, and before Eleanor can stop him, he and Jonathan are gone. She’s alone in the vast nothingness.

Three paths before Eleanor Waverly. She wishes to rest in the company of her family, and her mind is plagued with questions about her mother. What did her father mean by “for now?” But more than anything, she wants, actually needs to build a life with Hannah and wills herself back.

Though it’s been a moment for her beloved, Eleanor has experienced near eternity and is thankful to be reunited with Hannah. They hold each other close in a passionate kiss, stopping only to look upon each other promising that no matter what, they will face everything together. Even the eternal unknown.


End file.
